Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 581 The Death of the Supreme Grandmaster: Mysterious and Unpredictable, Moonlit Lonely Flower!
The sect leader of Fangcun Mountain possessed a restrained aura, with no trace of magical power emanating from him, appearing as an ordinary person, having already attained the state of returning to simplicity and authenticity.

Even so, after years of holding high positions and wielding great power, he had long since cultivated an invisible aura that commanded respect from all.

The hall was silent; the farmers and herdsmen remained silent, and everyone else waited patiently.

All eleven people present held their breath and waited patiently for a long time, showing great patience; not one of them displayed any signs of impatience.

[Until a beautiful woman gracefully entered, it was none other than Duanmu Xiwei, the head of the Reward Hall who had previously presided over the calligraphy, painting, and chess competitions.]

She gave a slight bow to Nongmu: "Greetings, Senior Brother Sect Leader."

The farmers and herdsmen nodded slightly, their gazes calm.

All the disciples bowed to their master.

Duanmu Xiwei said slowly, "Today is the day we set off for the East Sea. I and the two elders will escort you on this journey."

At this point, a faint light emanated from Nongmu's body, and specks of magical power flickered like fireflies just awakening.

The entire hall lit up, and countless intricate and mottled magic arrays emerged from the ground, dome, and walls, interlocking and connecting with each other to finally form a magnificent array—

In an instant, space was sealed off.

The crowd's expressions shifted slightly, but they showed no alarm, clearly understanding that what they were about to discuss involved sect secrets.

Duanmu Xiwei's gaze swept over everyone present, and he solemnly said, "This matter is of great importance. You all must swear a solemn oath to your inner demons, with the Heavenly Dao as your witness, that you will never divulge this matter."

With a flick of her wrist, a tortoise-shell scroll appeared in the air, densely covered with ancient seal script, shimmering with light—it was the "Heavenly Contract."

Since the revival of spiritual energy in this world, especially after the two appearances of the Ascension Platform, the Heavenly Dao has become increasingly manifest and clear.

[Any cultivator possessing magical power who makes this vow will be under the watchful eye of Heaven; it is the most solemn vow.]

Those with low cultivation who break this oath will inevitably face the wrath of Heaven, their inner demons will fester, and their fortunes will decline; while those who have already transcended the Nine Heavenly Tribulations or reached the Dragon Court realm who break the oath will be instantly struck by Heavenly Tribulation, facing eternal damnation.

Sun Miao stepped forward first, stood solemnly facing the tortoise shell, and loudly recited the oath against his inner demons. As soon as he finished speaking, a deep rumble of thunder echoed from the sky, penetrating the layers of magical arrays and reaching his ears clearly.

You gaze intently at the tortoise shell, where you see an ancient sacrificial text inscribed to worship Heaven and Earth. Most of the characters are damaged and blurred, difficult to decipher, but the numbers "Kun," "Xiao," "Yu," and "Ding" are faintly discernible.

Immediately afterwards, Fu Dongcheng also stepped forward to swear an oath. Another clap of thunder echoed in the sky.

The thunder is Heaven's witness to the oath.

The two claps of thunder were distinctly different—the thunder cites by Sun Miao was clearer and louder.

With the two taking the lead, Yuan Shujian, Feng Qingge, and the others also joined in.

Strangely, aside from the three disciples of Qi Yunfeng, Feng Qingge, Yuan Shujian, and the others were also no less powerful than Sun Miao in terms of thunderous force.

[Some in the cultivation world believe that the magnitude of the thunder signifies the Heavenly Dao's attention to this person, and there are many other opinions as well.]

In the end, only you and Qi Ling are left.

[Qi Ling made a vow, and a thunderclap resounded, even more powerful than that of Sun Miao and the others.]

Duanmu Xiwei's gaze shifted slightly, landing on Qi Ling.

You then stepped forward and made a vow. Strangely, there was no echo in the air for a long time, until finally, a faint rumble of thunder came from the distant horizon, weak yet clear.

Seeing that all eleven people had sworn their oaths, Duanmu Xiwei then put the tortoise shell away.

Her expression was grave, and she was about to speak when Nongmu, standing beside her, slowly rose.

"I'll speak then."

"Yes, Master." Duanmu Xi nodded slightly and stepped aside.

[The farmer slowly said, "The Heavenly Emperor's Treasury was previously opened by four groups working together—the Heretical Path, the Demonic Sect, our righteous path, and the Sea Clan."]

"Even with the combined efforts of all four, only four people could be sent inside. In the end, the Nine Yang Immortal, the Demon Lord, the Celestial Being, and Ao Qing, the Dragon King of the West Sea, entered the treasure vault."

"Unexpectedly... once inside, there was no further communication."

"After that, the life lamp of True Immortal Jiuyang within the Daoling Sect... went out."

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent, and everyone was deeply shaken.

[The natal lamp is lit by a cultivator's essence and blood; it goes out when the person dies. Could it be that the only Grandmaster of the righteous path... has actually perished in the Heavenly Emperor's treasury?]

If this is indeed the case, the righteous path will lose its only Grandmaster, and the heretical and demonic sects will certainly not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, having long coveted the Central Plains of Yuzhou.

[Nong Mu continued in a deep voice, "Not only Nine Yang True Man... but also the Demon Lord of All Living Beings, the Celestial Being, and Ao Qing."]

"The Four Dragon Kings, who were like brothers and bound by blood, were unaware of Ao Qing's presence."

[“And among the heretics, the soul lamps of the celestial beings…have also gone out.”]

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that it wasn't just the righteous path that had suffered losses; all three factions had been affected as well.

The Dragon Clan is powerful, with the Four Sea Dragon Kings all possessing true spirit forms, equivalent to four supreme grandmasters overseeing the realm. Now that the West Sea Dragon King Ao Qing's whereabouts are unknown, the entire Four Seas will likely be shaken.

The Dragon Clan has long dominated the four seas, yet they have always coveted the four continents, harboring ambitions to overthrow humanity and establish a world ruled by the demon race.

Although the righteous, demonic, and otherworldly paths have a long history of enmity, they have always stood united against the threat of the sea creatures, barely managing to withstand their onslaught by joining forces.

As the saying goes: Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts.

Now that three grandmasters have met with misfortune, how could the Dragon Clan possibly let such a golden opportunity slip by? They will likely launch a large-scale invasion of the land soon.

The hall was still reeling from this shocking news, and all was silent.

[You gently raised your eyes. You already knew a thing or two about this from the Demon Lord of All Living Beings, but you never expected that a true spirit from the Dragon Clan would be involved?]

Although the Demon Lord of All Living Beings is trapped in his main body, an avatar still exists in the world. Furthermore, it is learned from the eight-armed monster—a disciple of the Demon Lord—that this matter seems to be connected to the mysterious "Red Dust Immortal Sect"?

[The righteous path is not monolithic. As far as you know, there has been discord among the Nine Gates for a long time. If it weren't for Jiu Yang being the number one cultivator in the world, suppressing the righteous path, the status quo could only be maintained.]

After all, a single Grandmaster can destroy an entire sect.

You frowned slightly; the situation grew increasingly unpredictable and turbulent.

The sect leader observed each of your reactions closely. He seemed quite accustomed to this method: posing a question first, then allowing time for reflection.

[The farmer continued, "Fortunately, the Dragon Clan possesses a Blood Burning Secret Technique that allows them to sense the continuation of bloodlines, and the Dao Ling Sect also has a method for the soul to return. It can now be confirmed that the four have not perished, but are merely trapped deep within the treasure vault."]

"The realm of the Supreme Grandmaster, the pinnacle of this world, is not one where one perishes so easily."

Hearing this, everyone felt somewhat relieved, as they had originally intended to do the same.

[Nong Mu slowly sat back in his chair and continued, "However, after this incident, the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury was closed again. If it weren't for the Undying Sect of the Heretical Path forcibly opening a passage with the divine treasure 'Tears of the Void'..."]

[“In addition, the two Dragon Kings of the Sea Clan revealed their true forms, using their physical bodies to withstand the entrance to the treasure vault; the righteous Daoist Ziwu of Zhongnan Mountain also went all out, unleashing the Three True Myriad Laws Sword to maintain the passage from destruction…”]

"I fear that Master Jiuyang and the others will truly be trapped in the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury for eternity."

A chill ran through everyone. They all knew that once such ancient ruins were completely closed, there was virtually no chance of them ever being reopened. Throughout history, ruins have always appeared only when the time was right; there has never been a case of ruins being forcibly opened.

The ancient past is distant, and legends are shrouded in mystery. What are now considered "supreme grandmasters" of unparalleled spiritual attainment and profound understanding might not have been uncommon back then.

There is even a theory circulating that this realm was originally the grotto-heaven of an ancient Taoist master.

If the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury reopens after this closure, it's unknown when or how long it will take.

[But you had other thoughts in your mind: the Supreme Dharma Sect's divine treasure, "Tear of the Void," possessed such divine power, capable of connecting two realms; it was truly inconceivable.]

[And the Dragon Clan actually went all out to help... The Four Dragon Kings are all siblings from the same mother, with deep affection for each other. Logically, they shouldn't have set such a trap, joining forces to harm the three families, let alone sacrificing their own sister?]

Ao Qing, the Dragon King of the West Sea, is the only female among the Four Dragon Kings. She once traveled the four continents in human form and has always been closest to humans. Now that she is also caught up in this situation, why would the dragons use her as bait?

You look up at the sect leader, understanding dawning on you—the ins and outs of the matter are clear, but the real crux of the matter has not yet been reached.

[His gaze swept over you all, and he slowly said, "Although True Person Jiuyang was trapped here before, he still used a secret method to send back a map to Daoling Sect, which marked the area of ​​the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury that the four of them had already explored."]

"The nine sects of the righteous path have always been closely connected, and the Dao Ling Sect has also shared this map with its various sects. The map marks many secret and dangerous places in detail, and even places where the Nine Yang True Man's life might be hidden."

"This Heavenly Emperor's Treasury has its limitations, as you should know. Only cultivators under the age of sixty are permitted to enter."

"The four disciples of Master Jiuyang were able to enter using a secret method. Although the passage has been reopened with the help of the 'Tears of the Void,' anyone who exceeds the age limit will be instantly annihilated by the power of the ruins upon entering."

"As righteous cultivators, it is our duty to rescue Master Jiuyang. This matter... is now entrusted to you."

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded solemnly.

[You seem unconvinced after hearing this. Is the Dao Ling Sect truly so selfless as to share this map with other sects? I'm afraid... they're only doing so out of necessity.]

To save Master Jiuyang, we had no choice but to rely on the power of other sects and factions, which is why we had to hand over the map and devise a plan for rescue.

The fact that three supreme grandmasters are trapped here might be a good thing or a bad thing for Fangcun Mountain.

[The farmer's tone softened as he changed the subject. At his level of cultivation, even a slight change in emotion made everyone in the hall feel as if a spring breeze was blowing, and their minds relaxed.]

"Besides this important task, Fangcun Mountain also has something to entrust to you."

His gaze swept over the crowd as he slowly said, "This map of the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury marks an ancient medicine garden and alchemy workshop. According to ancient records, such ruins may contain ancient immortal elixirs, and even many lost peerless pills."

"These two locations are often the central points of ancient ruins, making them extremely crucial. You must explore them thoroughly. This is not only an important objective of your trip, but also concerns the long-term plan of Fangcun Mountain, and is of paramount importance to you and the sect."

"According to custom, what you obtained in the ruins should be distributed according to the old rules." The farmer's tone was gentle, yet it made everyone involuntarily tense.

"But this time is different—the sect will only take 30%, and the remaining 70% is yours to dispose of as you see fit."

As the words fell, a faint commotion arose within the hall.

The crowd looked surprised and doubtful. It was common knowledge in the cultivation world that sects typically took 40% of the spoils from exploring such ancient ruins.

After all, without the sect's painstaking cultivation and protection, a disciple would find it incredibly difficult to even escape unscathed, let alone seize an opportunity.

This ratio is considered fair for disciples of major sects. For smaller sects, taking 60% or 70% is common practice.

[But this time, Fangcun Mountain only took 30%... and it's a place with ancient legends like the Heavenly Emperor's Treasure Vault, it just doesn't make sense!]

The sect leader spoke slowly, his voice growing increasingly deep, "If... you can retrieve this item for me from the Heavenly Emperor's Treasury."

As he raised his hand, a water mirror illusion appeared in the air. Reflected within it was a nine-petaled flower, its entire body as if formed of frost and snow, about half a foot tall, its blossoms as pure white as the moon, its petals like ice sculptures, its outlines clear, and its surface shimmering with a cold light.

"Therefore, the sect will not take a single penny of any treasures you have acquired on this trip."

[You look closely, only to find that you don't recognize this flower at all; even after reading through the entire library and the ancient texts of the Imperial Ancestral Master, you've never seen it before.]

[Nong Mu smiled slightly and said, "This thing is called the 'Silent Moon Flower'."]

"If you find it in the treasure vault, use these scissors to retrieve it for me."

After speaking, eleven streaks of light flew from his sleeve, transforming into eleven golden scissors and eleven wooden boxes, which hung steadily in front of each person.

Both items were imbued with spiritual energy, clearly indicating they were not ordinary objects, but genuine magical treasures.

"To harvest this flower, one must use these specially crafted golden scissors. If any of the five elements touch it, the flower will instantly melt and vanish without a trace. It must also be preserved in this spirit wood treasure box."

"This matter, though concerning the grand plan for Fangcun Mountain, is also a personal wish that I hold dear."

"If someone can successfully bring back the Lonely Moon Flower..."

His gaze swept over the crowd, and he slowly said, "In addition to the treasures belonging to them, they will also receive an extra nine million merit points, as well as a high-grade magic weapon."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall once again showed expressions of surprise.

[You should know that even placing in the top eleven of the Star-Picking Competition only yields a reward of three million merit points. This time, however, a whopping nine million has been bestowed—three times the original amount!]

Not to mention the superior-grade magic weapon—magic weapons of this caliber are usually only possessed by cultivators at the Golden Core stage of the Great Dao, making them extremely precious.

[You stood behind the crowd, a thought stirring within you. It seems that of all the matters the Sect Master Nongmu spoke of today, the most crucial is perhaps this—the Lonely Moon Flower.]

Duanmu Xi stood quietly to one side, his gaze sweeping over the strange flower, as pure white as the moon, reflected in the water mirror. His heart trembled, but his expression remained calm as still water.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Nongmu nodded slightly and sat down again.

Immediately, he flicked his sleeve, and eleven divine thoughts, like streams of light, silently entered the foreheads of everyone present.

You did not stop it, allowing the divine thought to slowly unfold in your sea of ​​consciousness—it was a detailed topographical map. Many markings were clearly visible on it: "Alchemy Room," "Medicine Garden," "Painting Academy," "Array Palace," "Chess Garden," and so on, appearing one after another.

A thought suddenly struck you: so that's why the Star-Picking Competition specifically tested calligraphy, painting, and chess skills.

[Nong Mu spoke again, his voice steady yet leaving no room for hesitation: "Junior Sister Duanmu, Qi Yun Peak should have already prepared an intercontinental ferry."]

"It's still a two-month voyage to the East China Sea, let's set off now."

"Wishing you all a safe and successful journey."

You all bowed in unison: "We respectfully obey the sect's command and thank the sect leader."

[Duanmu Xiwei led you out of the hall.]

[Nong Mu sat still, watching the crowd's figures recede into the distance, a fleeting, almost imperceptible, sinister glint in his eyes. He muttered to himself, as if sighing, yet also self-deprecating:]

"Unfortunately, I claimed to have calculated the fate of all living beings and the workings of heaven and earth, but I never foresaw... that the treasure trove of heaven and earth would appear in this way."

"Both Jiuyang and Cangsheng will get caught up in this; otherwise, they'll be at a disadvantage if they make their moves too early."

"Man may have a thousand plans, but Heaven has one."

"No rush. We already have the upper hand. Let's take down Fang Cunshan first..."

The voice was barely audible, almost inaudible.

(End of this chapter)